A clearly defined strategic board agenda is the basis to conduct every meeting. It ensures that every discussion is able to achieve its goal and does not get overwhelmed by the details. It takes more than the right format to conduct an effective board meeting. Board members must also be prepared and ready to participate in productive discussions.
Reading the board materials before the meeting is among the most beneficial actions a board member can do to ensure a successful event. In this way they can get acquainted with the information and know what they’d like to discuss during the meeting. This is a great way to increase participation by allowing everyone’s unique perspective to be shared with the group.
Focusing on the content, not the format is another important factor to ensure a successful board meeting. Board meetings should be efficient and focused. Therefore, it is important to arrange topics in a systematic manner. Start with the most urgent and critical ones. Then, move on to topics that build on the previous ones. Don’t forget, too, to set aside a portion of the meeting to discuss any new business. This is a great opportunity for the board to have constructive discussions that will help to propel the organization forward.
With more hands-on tasks being required by Boards in recent years, it can be easy for meetings to drift off topics and to last longer than they are. A good way to prevent this from happening is to keep the information on a dashboard for the board at the strategic level and prioritize it.